Why the study?
Do ESPLINE, Directigen EZ, and Binax NOW rapid diagnostic kits accurately detect influenza A and B compared to viral culture in pediatric patients?
Do ESPLINE, Directigen EZ, and Binax NOW rapid diagnostic kits accurately detect influenza A and B compared to viral culture in pediatric patients?
The evaluated rapid diagnostic kits demonstrated excellent sensitivity for influenza A but lower and variable sensitivity (76-86%) for influenza B in pediatric patients.
May support A-focused rapid testing in children; leaves open prospective validation of B sensitivity.
Clinically, it is difficult to distinguish influenza infection from febrile infections caused by respiratory syncytial virus, adenovirus, rhinovirus, and human metapneumovirus without the use of rapid diagnostic tests. Nasopharyngeal aspirates (NPAs) were collected from 494 pediatric patients and were tested for the presence of influenza A and B virus antigen using 3 rapid diagnotic kits: ESPLINE Influenza A and B-N, Directigen EZ Flu A and B, and Binax NOW Influenza A and B. Fifty-three specimens positive by viral culture were positive for influenza A by all 3 kits. Of the 270 influenza B virus cell-culture-positive specimens, the sensitivities of ESPLINE, EZ, and NOW were 86%, 76%, and 78%, respectively. Under well-controlled conditions, influenza A virus sensitivities for all 3 kits can be 100% with specificities ranging from 98% to 100%.
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Hara et al. (2008) studied this question.
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